Lime slaking apparatus



Aug. 1, 1933. E, E. HARPER 1,920,905

LIME SLAKING APPARATUS Filed May 13, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 1, 1933. E. E. HARPER LIME SLAKINQ APPARATUS Filed May 13, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 19337 E. E. HARPER LIME SLAKING' APPARATUS Filed May 13, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 1, 1933 E. E. HARPER LIME SLAKING APPARATUS Filed May 13, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ivar/I01:

%MyW/4 -Patentecl Aug. 1, 1933 L omit STATES PATEN series LIME SLAKING APPARATUS Elmer E. Harper, Kansas City, Mo. Application May 13, 1929. Serial No. 362,606

.. 4 Claims. (01. 2 3--237) sion for varying the relative sizes of the-two compartments, as by varying the position of the overflow partition between them. A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of automatic means constantly removing the vapor and dust-laden air from above the surface of the contents within the slaking and dilution compartments, thereby keeping the air around the machine pure as well as promotingtheefficiency of the operation of :the material-feeding mechanism. V

Further features of my invention comprise improvements of the receptaclestructure, including the, discharge outlet for the unslaked material from the slaking compartment, the inlet-ports tor the water supply to both the slaking and dilution compartments,- and the selective regulation or control of said water supply as required for slaking and dilution purposes. A still further object ofthe invention is the provision, of improved mechanical mixing devices forv agitating the contents of the apparatus, the same being adapted for effective engagement with the material while automatically yielding to any necessary extent as required by the deflecting action of the material.

With the foregoing general objects in view, as wellas various minor objects as-will appear in the course of the detailed specification, the V invention will now be. described by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one practical form of embodiment of mylimprovements, after which the various features and combinations deemed to be novel will be set forth and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l is a front elevation illustrating an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention; t Figure 2 is a plan. view with the ,materialfeedingmachi'ne omitted;

Figure 3 is. a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the apparatus; t

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section, taken on the line IV 'IV of Figure 1; 1

. Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional 0 detail of the shaft terminals, illustrating the water connections and inlet ports around the shaft;

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional detail, showing one, of the material-engaging. 5 and agitating elements.

Referring now to said drawings in detail, the apparatus is illustrated therein as comprising a receptacle construction 10 of any appropriate material such as sheet metal, which may be made up in trough form as shown, having the curved bottom 12, and supporting legs 14, and a cover member 16 extending over the top of the entire receptacle.

The interior of the receptacle may be divided '75 by a'vertical overflow partition 17 into a main slaking compartment 20 and a smaller dilution compartment 18. Preferably, provision is made for adjusting the position of the partition 17, as by providing a plurality of longitudinally spaced channels or recesses 22 for seating the edges of the partition (see Figures 3 and .4), thereby enabling the relative sizes of the slaking and dilution compartments to be changed to a certain extent, according to the requirements. The final productof lime solution leaves the dilution compartment by way of an overflow opening 23 at the corresponding end of the receptacle (Figures 2 and 3); at, the opposite end of the receptacle, the cover member is provided with an opening 2 l, over which is mounted an automatic material-feeding machine, designated generally by, the reference numeral 25, this machine being in all essential respects of the type described in my co-pending patent application, Serial Number 268,516 and designed to discharge the lime material through the opening 24 into the compartment 20 at a given rate according 'to the rate of speedfor which. said machine is set,'1'as required by the capacity of the slakilng apparatus itself.

' Over another opening 30, in the cover member 16, in communication with the upper .air space in th'e dilution compartment 18, is provided a conduit passageway leading to an exhaust'or suction device, such as a special typeof exhaust fan 32, adapted to be driven by belt 33 from a suitable motor- 34 (Figures 1 and2). I u t, This arrangement serves to remove any vapors or'dust-laden air inthe space over the con- J ing a spiral outline (see Figures '4 and 6).

The motor '34 isalso connected by a belt 38 to the pulley 39 of 'a reduction gearing 40 which is operatively connected bya'driven sprocket 41 and sprocket chain42 to a driven sprocketwheel 43 mounted on one endof a shaft 44 which extends longitudinally through the receptacle and through openings 45in the end walls 46 thereof. Theends of this shaft 44 are journaled in suitable bearings 48 mounted on transverse "frame pieces 49 carried at the ends of longitudinal frame members 50 supportedrbythe legs 14.

members comprising a" springer resili ent arm 52, as of spring steel, of a bowed contour approach- The free straight-end portion-of each arm carries a suitable blade or paddle'element 54,'and the' bowed end of each arm is attachedfto the shaft (which'is of square cross-section) bymeans oi bolts am! a set'of'clamping plates 56 adapted to. permit adjustment, or the removal of the arms; atany time, as for repair purposes. The curved or'bowed contour of the arms is such as to permit a yielding movement'of thefblades '54 in both circumferential and radial-directions,

in response to the dragging action of thematerial in the 'reoeptacle, or on meeting large and thdpartition in shifting it from one to another of-thechannelsorrecesses 22 in the aforesaid adjustment of the partition, the lower portion of the opening 60 being provided witha movable shutter e1ement62 v A drain outlet 64 is providedat the discharge end of the receptacle, and from the discharge end ofthe slaking compartment a chute'or clinker outlet passage "65 is provided on thatside of I the receptacle corresponding to the 4 direction of the operative movement of the stirring or mixing-paddles 54 in traversing theb'ottom 12' of the receptacle; said movement" thereby "tending to impel the unslaked material in'the direction of themouth'offsaid chute or"clinker-outlet 651 The. bottom of said-chute ofr outletpassage'65 is inclined downwardly (Figure 4), and .the same is provided with an 1 outlet 66 at any: suitable point' ,.(Figures 2 and 4), from which the discharge may be regulated in any'desired man- 7 feeding the water supply axially or along the lea d to the slaking and dilution compartments, 'respec'tivelyl Communication is madev with the compartments through the aforesaid openings 45 inthe: end walls of the'receptacle by the way ofannular orifices or ports 72iormed by collars 73;.mountedoh the, corresponding'end portions of the shaft 44 and registering with the openings 45, as illustrated inFigure-d/ The ends of the pipes .71, are threaded into these collars into communication with the respective orifices 72, and the outer portions of the collars are formed as packing sleeves fitted with glands 75 having flanges 76 held in place by screws 77 (Figures 1 and 3). 1

"The, flow of water to each of the receptacle compartments is separately regulated by suitable valves 80, and 'in addition the branch pipe 70 is provided with a pressure reducing device 82 as well as a pressure cook 83 for maintaining a certain fixed pressure as indicated by the gauge 84; Other instruments may also be provided, such as a meter, as indicated at 85, and a thermometer 86 carried by the cover member r. 15 in position to register the temperature of the At spaced intervals along" the shaft 44; the same is provided with stirring or mixing mem "bers extending in various differentradial directions' for agitating theflcontents-of' both the slaking and v dilution chambers," each'ofsaid each of the compartments as required for the siaking operation The drive connections from the motor operate both the mechanical mixing agitating mechanism and the exhaust fan of the device, thereby producing a thorough stirring and: mixing of the contents of the receptacle to insure proper slaking ofthelime, the unslaked particles being propelled out through the discharge chute. The operation of the exhaust fan removes the dust and vapors or fumes from the top of the slaking and dilution chambers, and keeps the feed opening 24'clear so as not to interfere with the feed operation, besides maintaining the air around the apparatus free of such dust and vapors.

Theblades or paddles 54 operate with a yielding action to impel the material in the stirring or mixing action, their capacity for combined radial and circumferential movements serving to compensate for the thrustofiered by solid particles'ofthe material andmaintain the necessarycontact with such particles for impellingthe'm forward, as said blades "traverse the interior of the'trOilgh-like bottom 12, as indicated by the broken lines in Figure 6. This results in an eflicient and thorough agitation of the contents of the receptacle, without any danear of breaking the stirringarms 52. Any such solid particles as remain in'an unslaked form are gradually pushed out into thedischarge .chute 55; so as no longer to obstruct the stirring mechanism. The arrangement of the water supply connections is such that the flow of water into the receptacle can be regulated as required for the separate compartments, and

central longitudinal lines of the'receptacle gives aneven and uniform distribution of the flow;

and the method of mounting the shaft 44 with latter chamber, and from there overflows through the final discharge opening 23. As in some cases, according to conditions, the relative size of the slaking and dilution compartments may need to be varied, this can be readily done by simply shifting the position of the vertical overflow partition 17, as above explained.

While the intake portion 31 of the fan 32 might, if desired, be placed in direct communication with the outlet openings 30 of the dilution compartment 18, I prefer to interpose a washing and condensation structure between the dilution compartment and the fan. For this purpose, I provide a cabinet or housing divided by a number of spaced vertical bafile partitions 91, 92, into interior compartments 93, so arranged that the vapors are drawn through the openings 30 upward into the first compartment 93, and over the first partition 91 into the second compartment 93 (being the middle compartmentv in the illustrated construction), and thence beneath the second partition 92 into the next succeeding compartment 93, and so on according/to the number of partitions employed. From the last compartment 93 the 'vapors are drawn upward through an opening 94 into the intake portion 31 of the fan. Waterspray pipes 95 are provided in all but the last compartment 93 for emitting upwardly directed sprays or jets of water therein (see Figure 3), which is allowed to drain through openings 96 provided at the base of each partition 91 back to the openings 30. The operation of this feature of the construction effects a condensation of the warm vapors drawn from the dilution compartment and thereby lightens to that ex-- tent the duty of the fan; and also washes the vapors of solid dust particles, which are thus not allowed to reach the fan where they would gradually tend to clog the impellers and impede the fans action. Moreover, the Water supplied by the spray pipes 95 may be utilized to furnish a part of the supply required for the dilution compartment 18.

While I have illustrated and described one practical form of construction for embodying the several features of my improvements, it is apparent that the apparatus is susceptible of many as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Lime slaking apparatus comprising a receptacle, an overflow partition separating the interior of the receptacle into a slaking compartment and a dilution compartment, a longitudinal shaft extending through said partition and both ends of the receptacle and carrying stirring members for agitating the contents of both of said compartments, and. water supply means provided with connections forming annular inlet ports around said shaft and through the end walls of the receptacle to both of said compartments.

2. Lime slaking apparatus comprising a receptacle, mechanical agitating means comprising a shaft provided with stirring arms, bearings for said shaft, and water supply means comprising a connection providing and annular inlet port around the shaft and through the corresponding end wall of the receptacle and independent of. the bearings of the shaft.

3. Lime slaking apparatus comprising a receptacle, mechanical agitating means comprising a shaft provided with bearings outside the receptacle and stirring arms operating inside the receptacle, and water supply means comprising a connection providing an annular inlet port around the shaft and through the corresponding end wall of the receptacle.

4. Lime slaking apparatus comprising a receptacle, mechanical agitating means comprising a shaft extending through one of the walls of the receptacle, and water supply means including a pipe connected with a collar provided with a packing gland embracing the shaft, said collar being formed with an annular inlet port surrounding the shaft between said gland and the corresponding wall of the receptacle.

ELMER E. HARPER 

